When I wrote a recent blog declaring 2010 the year of 3D, I never imagined this.  Last week the AP reported on debut of 3D programming on CatholicTV, of all places:

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BOSTON - Avatars and Mad Hatters are already performing before American audiences in 3D, and Shrek is coming soon.

Now, a national Catholic television network is throwing priests into the mix.

CatholicTV debuted 3D programmes yesterday in an effort to reach younger people and to make the faith message more vivid.

The network posted several 3D shows on the internet, released its monthly magazine in 3D - complete with glasses - and said it would eventually broadcast some programmes in 3D.

CatholicTV's director, Father Robert Reed, said he'd been planning to introduce 3D well before the success of James Cameron's movie Avatar or the 3D Alice in Wonderland.

"It's a way for us to show that we believe the message we have is relevant, and we're going to use every possible avenue to bring that message to people," said Reed, whose network reaches five million to six million homes nationwide through cable providers.

Stephen Prothero, a religion professor at Boston University, applauded CatholicTV for taking a risk with technology to attract a broader, younger audience.

Evangelical Christians were typically far more adept at that outreach, he said.

But if the 3D shows weren't compelling, he said, it could backfire by reinforcing the notion that the Catholic Church was out of touch.

"In some ways, it's better to look like retro 2D than bad 3D," he said. "Hip is a moving target. James Cameron is up more on that than Pope Benedict."

This year an unprecedented 19 3D movies are scheduled for release, including the latest Shrek sequel.

- AP
 

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